Riyad (not his real name), 27, is at the Jatrabari police station to file a general diary. After waiting over half an hour in the duty officer’s room, it was still not his turn.

He recently lost his wallet, which had a SIM card registered in his mother’s name. She died a few days ago. Customer service told him he needed a copy of the general log to retrieve the SIM.

“I’ve been waiting for almost an hour and it’s still not my turn,” Riyad said.

Sub-Inspector Sakhayet Hossain was the officer on duty with a female police officer sitting next to him. There was only one computer on his desk. Opposite him sat 5-6 people, including Riyad, who came to file files or general journals.

Sakhayet said: “We used to have three or four computers, but now there is only one. We write over a hundred general logs every day, so people often have to wait a long time to make complaints.”

After the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina fell on August 5, more than 500 police stations across the country were attacked. Jatrabari Police Station in the capital he was among them. The six-story building was largely destroyed by vandalism and fire to which angry students and the public appealed.

At first, police operations began in two rooms of the nearby Demra police station, but returned to the Jatrabari building in the first week of October. Although the renovation is not complete, police activities continue with limited equipment, manpower and vehicles.

“To make things easier for the public, we have started operations here before the renovation of the building is complete. Despite some challenges, we are providing services to everyone,” said Faruk Hossen, officer-in-charge (OC) of Jatrabari police station.

On 23 October, during a visit, it was observed that barbed wire had been placed around the police station to prevent anyone from crossing the wall. The newly painted building looked shiny while a pile of burnt vehicles was seen just inside the main gate of the police station area.

Constable Sajib, who joined the station in September, said, “There are no old members here; they are all new”. He added: “The burnt vehicles are still here. Everything from furniture to vehicles is replaced.”

While the exterior painting is finished, Sajib noted that the furniture is not fully arranged and they are still installing windows.

OC Faruk Hossen was away from the station on an operation and advised them by phone to contact the duty officer.

On the second floor of the police station, where operations are conducted, the room on the left is for the duty officer. Sakhayet was in charge that day.

He said police activities are being carried out, but due to a lack of staff, patrol vehicles and other resources, the public is not getting all the services they expect.

Operations performed with borrowed vehicles

According to sources at the police station, there were seven vehicles before but all were burnt in a fire set by agitated students on August 5. Dhaka Metropolitan Police later provided a new vehicle and two old vehicles were borrowed from Tejgaon Police Station.

Officers report that older vehicles often break down, causing delays in operations and patrols. A sub-inspector of police told TBS that vehicles on loan from Tejgaon operate frequently, disrupting police services.

Lack of staff

Before August, the police station had 258 personnel, including 206 police officers and 52 Ansar members. Now the staff is down to just 150.

Police officers report that the August 5 attacks and arson destroyed all case documents. As a result, many suspects on the warrant list are still at large and cannot be arrested. Continued understaffing also makes it difficult to obtain warrant orders from the regular court.

A sub-inspector said incidents of robbery are on the rise in the Jatrabari area and complaints are coming in every day. “The robberies and thefts are part of a ring. If we had the documents from previous cases, it would be easier to identify these groups. Many suspects with warrants are not arrested due to lack of documents.”

He added: “We have to travel to court regularly to get warrants. Because of the labor shortage, we are under pressure.”

Asked about the overall situation, OC Faruk Hossain said, “Despite our limitations, we are providing services. However, we are gradually overcoming these limitations. A new building has already been adapted for use and new chairs and tables have been brought in. in. When new staff are seconded, the labor shortage will also be addressed.”